Lividi
by amaltia
Summary: Sanzo is determined to discover why Goku has bruises on his body...but all his theories cannot prepare him for reality. PG13 for mm mild lemon, & language. Pairings: 39, 58, & 9? [Completed]
1. Secrets

**Written:** August 18 2004

** Warning: ** This story contains male/male relationships, mild lemon, as well as swear words. You have been warned.

**Disclaimer: ** Saiyuki is (c)Kazuya Minekura, Enix Co., Tv Tokyo, etc. I do not claim to own any of these characters, though the views expressed within my story are my own. All original characters and ideas in this story are (c)kitsune-oni (userid:289468), and use of my stories and/or any original plots, themes or characters will not be tolerated. This disclaimer applies to the entire story, "Lividi".

** A/N: ** This is a not very complicated and not very long fic that I wrote in the space of two days. So, expect updates every other day (roughly) as all I need to do is edit the chapters. Also, for once this is not angst-filled. There's only a mild bit of angst, especially if you compare it to other fics like -No Regrets- and such.  
I was just having fun... this random plot bunny came to me while rereading some of my poems (which is where the title came from--a poem called Lividi. Lividi means bruises in Italian.)  
The pairings you'll see: Sanzo/Goku, Hakkai/Gojyo, & one other that's a surprise.

**Chapter 1**

It was probably the fact that Goku was wearing a towel that pretty much covered every inch of his skin that alarmed Sanzo.

He narrowed his eyes as Goku walked across the room, dripping the whole way. He didn't specifically want to see Goku walking around with just a skimpy towel around his waist, but something was just wrong.

Goku _never_ wrapped a towel just under his armpits. Goku was _never_ that modest around him. Around Gojyo and Hakkai, sometimes, but him? Never.

"You're dripping," Sanzo said, keeping his voice flat.

Goku grinned nervously. "My bad. I'll just grab my clothes and go back to the bathroom."

Sanzo had the distinct impression Goku was hiding something from him, and he didn't like it. Why would Goku want to cover his body? Unless... Was he injured?

"What are you hiding?"

Goku looked up at him, startled. "Me? Hiding? Nothing." Goku's eyes flicked away to the left before returning to Sanzo's face.

Liar, Sanzo thought, annoyed. Normally, he wouldn't have bothered trying to figure out what had happened, but something unsettled him. Anyhow, if Goku was injured that stupid monkey would slow them down, and Sanzo couldn't deal with any unnecessary delays.

He put out his cigarette and blocked Goku's path. "What are you hiding?" he repeated.

This time Goku's voice was firmer. "Nothing."

"Don't try fool me with nonsense," he snarled back.

Goku winced.

With one quick movement, Sanzo reached out and grabbed the top of Goku's towel. He dragged the towel down, 'til it sat around Goku's hips like a long skirt.

Goku refused to meet his gaze as Sanzo took in the blue-black bruises on Goku's sides. There was also one right in the middle of Goku's chest, dark purple in color. Sanzo reached out to make sure no ribs were broken.

Goku shivered and half-pulled away. "Your hands are cold."

"How did you get these?"

"From fighting."

The answer seemed to make perfect sense, but a nagging sensation still remained in the back of Sanzo's mind.

"Why didn't you say anything about them before?"

"They don't hurt that much." Goku shrugged.

Sanzo quickly poked one of Goku's sides, raising an eyebrow when Goku yelped.

"Idiot," Sanzo finally responded. "Go get Hakkai and have him heal them for you, and then send him over here. Gojyo and him have had enough time to talk and I don't plan on being stuck with your snoring. And tell them next time they want to talk, they'd better make sure not to kick you into my room as a result."

Goku nodded, obviously not in the mood to protest to any of his insults. Sanzo tried to analyze how Goku was feeling, but whereas once he could read the boy like an open book, now all his mind came up with was confusion. He couldn't read Goku anymore, and that grated on his nerves.

Goku finished getting dressed quickly and slipped out the door without another word. Sanzo watched him leave, and then walked over to his bed and sprawled out on it. Was fighting really what had caused Goku's bruises? What type of an opponent would grab him around the waist?

"Ch'." It didn't concern him. If Goku wanted to keep secrets, well he damn well wasn't going to poke around and bother trying to find out.

Hakkai walked in at that moment and sat down on the other bed. Both of them remained silent for a few moments before Hakkai spoke up.

"I saw to Goku's bruises. They're gone now."

Sanzo didn't respond, and closed his eyes.

"I was just wondering..." Hakkai continued, trailing off and looking at him expectantly.

It aggravated Sanzo to no end that Hakkai did this. It was Hakkai's way to make sure he was paying attention, but did he really have to have his eyes open to listen to someone?

He kept his eyes closed but demanded roughly, "What?"

"Didn't those bruises look... a little suspicious to you?"

Yes, as a matter of fact they had. But he couldn't say that because he refused to admit something was suspicious unless he had proof that it actually was. For all they knew, Goku really could've gotten those bruises fighting.

"Ch'." It was his standard noncommittal response, and he heard Hakkai sigh heavily.

"I just don't know how he could have been bruised when all we fought yesterday were some rather weak demons."

Sanzo thought this over. That was true. He opened his eyes and glanced over at Hakkai. Hakkai was sitting on his bed, his head resting on one hand as he stared into space.

"Unless, perhaps, Homura...?"

"Maybe," Sanzo finally spoke up. It made sense. Homura was strong enough to bruise Goku, and they'd had another fight with him nearly a week ago.

"It's just..." Again Hakkai let the silence hang between them, this time because he was mulling things over.

"What?" Sanzo demanded again. It was rare that Hakkai got on his nerves so much, but he still felt rather uneasy for some unknown reason, and that irritated him.

"Oh nothing, Sanzo." Hakkai smiled. "I was just thinking aloud. Anyway, if something is wrong with Goku we'll find out. It probably was because of a fight or something. I'm just surprised he didn't come to me before."

Sanzo sighed, exasperated. He wasn't even sharing a room with that damn monkey, yet all he was thinking about was Goku. He tried to push the matter from his mind.

"I think I will go to bed. Can I turn off the light?"

Sanzo nodded and lay down on his bed as Hakkai got into the other.

"Goodnight, Sanzo."

"Hn."

Pretty soon, the sound of Hakkai's even breathing filled the room. Sanzo stared up at the ceiling, trying to will himself to sleep, but it was of no use. Something continued to bother him.

Then it struck him. Sanzo closed his eyes and reached out with his mind. He touched the connection between him and Goku gently, as he sometimes did when Goku went missing. It helped him tune in on Goku's feelings, as well as his location.

His mind coiled back when Goku shrank away from his touch.

Sanzo's eyes snapped open. Something was definitely wrong.

To Be Continued...


	2. Fade

**Written:** August 18 2004

** A/N: ** The response I got surprised me! blushes Well here's chapter 2... And I know the chapters are short but it's a short story so... sticks out tongue  
Anyway... The plot thickens ever so slightly...

**Chapter 2**

He watched Goku over the top of his newspaper as the boy ordered a large breakfast, bouncing happily in his seat. Gojyo made several sarcastic remarks on Goku drooling over food, and the two began to argue.

Everything seemed normal. Had he just been too tired the night before? Had his mind been playing tricks on him?

Sanzo winced, his temple throbbing as his two companions--how he hated calling them that, even in his head!--began to argue at a louder pitch.

"Damn it, you idiotic kappa! Just give it back to me!"

"Too late!" Gojyo's voice was muffled as he stuffed whatever he had stolen into his mouth.

"Well then I'll take this!" Goku lunged forward, chopsticks swooping down.

Gojyo used his own chopsticks to defend his plate, and the two began a complicated sword fight with Goku trying to snatch Gojyo's food, and Gojyo blocking him.

Finally, Goku jabbed Gojyo's hand and took advantage of Gojyo's distraction to swiftly nab something off of his plate.

"That's cheating, you--"

"Shut up!" Sanzo yelled, pulling out his gun and firing in their general vicinity. How he hoped that one day he'd accidentally shoot one of them....

Silence reigned once more as Goku and Gojyo glanced at him meekly before eating quietly. Hakkai got up to make sure no one else was hurt, and Sanzo resisted the urge to snort.

As if he would actually hit someone else. His aim wasn't that bad, thank you very much. He always hit exactly what he'd aimed to hit.

Sanzo stood up. "Enough Hakkai, let's go." He strode out of the room, knowing Hakkai would drag the other two after him.

He was annoyed with Goku and himself. Why had Goku acted so suspiciously and tried to cover his bruises? And why had he nearly panicked? That was an overstatement. He didn't panic. But he had been a bit worried.

It had to have been Homura. There was no other explanation. He nodded to himself and got into Jeep.

However, Sanzo kept catching himself glancing back at Goku, trying to find something written on his face which would explain everything. It all didn't seem to add up, and Sanzo just couldn't understand why.

A vein throbbed at his temple. He didn't like mysteries, and he especially didn't like the fact that his brain couldn't accept a situation for what it was. Had he become paranoid overnight? Or was he--

"Shut up!" he yelled, pissed off that his mind just wouldn't stop thinking for one god blessed moment.

He turned around and glanced back threateningly, pretending to have yelled at the two behind. They looked at him sheepishly, hands covering their heads.

"But Sanzo--"

He silenced Goku with a glance. As he turned around in his seat he heard Gojyo mutter, "We weren't even that loud yet."

Sanzo snorted. What an idiot.

He closed his eyes and enjoyed the rare moments of peace. His mind was finally clear, and so far none of Kougaiji's annoying minions had attacked them. All he had to do was block out the argument in the back and he'd be just fine....

Suddenly, Jeep swerved violently to one side, then, the second later, to the other.

Sanzo gritted his teeth as Goku and Gojyo continued punching each other, trying to count to ten and rein in his temper.

Gojyo yelped loudly. Sanzo glanced back and noticed that Gojyo was rubbing one of his sides with a hand.

"You little shit! That's going to leave a bruise!"

"Poor Gojyo," Goku taunted. "Don't worry, it'll fade after a couple of days, you great, big baby."

"Who are you calling a baby?"

Sanzo fired several shots into the air, then hissed, "Both of you are going to become dead babies if you don't sit down this instant!"

Hakkai chuckled.

Silence enveloped them once more, but Sanzo kept a hand on his gun. If those two started up again, he would kill them for sure this time. Just give me one reason, he thought angrily.

And then he had one. To kill Goku, at least. Goku's taunt about Gojyo's bruise fading had finally made him realize why he was so bothered that the fight with Homura was the reason behind Goku's injuries.

The bruises he had seen on Goku's side were new, maximum a day old. Unless Homura had come down for a secret skirmish with Goku, which was highly unlikely, Goku was lying.

Was that why Hakkai had been suspicious? Sanzo didn't want to ask.

A part of his mind persisted asking questions. And if it was true that Goku had been bruised while fighting?

I'll watch him, Sanzo thought back angrily, shoving aside the question. I'll see what he's getting up to. If nothing happens, then I'll just drop it all.

He'd find out, one way or another.

Goku would never be able to keep things hidden from him for long.

To Be Continued...


	3. Thin

**Written:** August 18 2004

** A/N: ** Thanks for the reviews!! gives chocolate cookies to: [**Koinu-chan, Zelgadis55, seiko123, Iapetus, chibichibi-nekochan, Blades of Ice, Wasabii, Broken Reflection, ChibiHarisen, Lune Rave, DivineAngel, Nikkler, BombayGoku**] ... o.O has no more cookies left  
In which Sanzo wonders whether Goku's clumsy.

**Chapter 3**

Sanzo's patience was wearing thin after two days of watching Goku. Two days of watching the boy eat, fight, sleep, argue, eat, and sleep. Didn't Goku find his routine monotonous at times?

Gojyo had caught him staring at Goku at one point, and made some snarky comments.

Sanzo sneered at the memory. He'd completely bitten Gojyo's head off, and silenced him with a gunshot or two.

"You don't look cute when you scowl, you know?" Gojyo remarked idly, interrupting his train of thought.

Sanzo glared at him. "I don't want to look cute, bastard."

"Of course not," Gojyo agreed. "You want to look sexy. Trying to be so cool with that gun and the tight leather--Ouch!" Gojyo rubbed his head. "The fan is not cool."

"Ch'. As if I care."

He turned away and watched as Hakkai built up a small fire for their evening meal. It was another of seemingly millions of nights spent in the wilderness. He longed for the inn they'd left that morning, but then berated himself for wishing for such comforts. Still, a nice, hot bath....

"I got some water, Hakkai!" Goku ran up to them, a broad smile on his face. "There's a small stream not too far off from here."

Goku handed the water over to Hakkai, and then came bounding towards Sanzo.

"Hey, Sanzo, do--" Whatever Goku was going to say was cut off as he stumbled over a rock and fell flat on his face. He winced slightly.

How stupid, Sanzo thought to himself. How clumsy.

He couldn't help but noticing the way Goku clutched his side as he got up. Then Goku seemed to realize what he was doing and he dropped his hand guiltily.

"What do you want?" Sanzo asked, determined to find out what was wrong.

Goku looked at him blankly. "What do I want?" he repeated, confused.

"What a dork you are!" Gojyo burst out laughing. "Stumbling over a rock made you forget what you were going to say to Sanzo! You must have fallen harder than I thought!"

"Shut up! I'm not a dork!" Goku yelled. "I just forgot what I was going to say!"

"Which proves my point exactly."

Goku puzzled over this for a second, and then tackled Gojyo. The two of them rolled around for a bit, punching wildly. That's when Sanzo noticed.

Goku's shirt had ridden up a little bit as he fought Gojyo, and there were fresh bruises on his sides.

"Ouch! You nasty cheat! Biting is not allowed!" Gojyo growled, pulling away from Goku.

"Says who?" Goku sneered, and for a second Sanzo felt he was looking at a reflection of himself.

Gojyo had evidently thought the same thing, for he pulled up his hands to admit his defeat and said, "Whoa, Goku, don't pull a Sanzo on me."

"Idiots," Sanzo muttered to himself, but he wasn't really concentrating on them anymore.

Hakkai had healed Goku's bruises, so why were there more on him now? They'd only fought against a couple of demons that hadn't even managed to scratch them, let alone punch.

Briefly, Sanzo thought back to Goku falling flat on his face. That could be an explanation. Goku had the tendency to be, at times, a little clumsy. If he fell and smacked into enough things, he'd definitely get bruises.

Sanzo almost smacked himself. What stupid reasoning. Goku was strong; he wouldn't bruise just by banging into a couple of things. And anyway he wasn't _that_ clumsy. And it didn't explain why he had bruises in the same place as before.

Sanzo glanced around the clearing, trying to wrap his mind around the mystery. If things hadn't caused Goku's bruises, the only other option was people.

A sudden thought struck Sanzo and he glanced at Goku quickly, trying to assess the youngster. Were the bruises self-inflicted?

He tried to imagine Goku punishing himself, but couldn't. Goku was too exuberant, too happy to be so morbid. Unless... Sanzo tried to ignore the uneasiness that washed over him. Lately he hadn't been able to sense Goku's emotions.

Was something wrong with Goku? Was he only pretending to be happy, like Hakkai did? No, his mind insisted stubbornly. I would've noticed it.

Sanzo knew he had a great influence over Goku's life. Could he have somehow driven Goku to beating himself up?

"Goku really cares about you," Hakkai had told him once. "I think the reason he never feels pain when you're in danger is because he cares about you so much it just overrides everything else." Hakkai had smiled sadly and added, "I think you're the only one that can hurt him."

He thought back to the events of the passed couple of weeks to see if had he said anything particularly mean or spiteful. It _had_ rained once and he'd bitten Goku's head off, but it hadn't been much worse than usual. Right?

He'd been staring out a window when Goku had come into his room.

"Sanzo, I know you don't want to talk, but I need--"

"Then leave."

Goku had paused. "What?"

"If you know I don't want to talk, leave."

"I just want to say one thing, you don't need to talk. Just listen for one--"

"Get out."

"But--"

"I said get out."

"Please--"

"Get the fuck out!"

"But Sanzo, I--"

"I don't care."

Goku had walked out after that, sniffling quietly to himself. He'd closed the door, and Sanzo had heard him slump down right outside of it. Both of them hadn't moved for the rest of the night.

Sanzo wondered what Goku had wanted to say to him. Had it been that important? Couldn't it have waited one more day, 'til the sun came out?

He stood up quickly and headed over to Goku, pulling him away from Hakkai and over to a secluded area of the forest.

"Sanzo, what are you doing?"

He turned and examined Goku, and then reached out and placed a hand on Goku's waist. Goku glanced at the hand, then at him, startled.

The startled look quickly changed to a grimace as Sanzo squeezed.

He pulled his hand away and crossed his arms while Goku stared at the ground.

"Just one thing, monkey."

Goku bristled at the name. "What?"

"Tell me you didn't do those yourself."

Goku looked up at him, surprised. "No!"

"Sure?"

Goku nodded, his cheeks flushing. "Promise."

Then who? Sanzo wanted to ask. And why are your cheeks red? But he'd said he'd ask one thing, and Sanzo always kept his word.

To Be Continued...


	4. Disarming

**Written:** August 19 2004

** A/N: ** looks at stat screen & falls over dead Here ya go! More suspense! More... of more! XD

**Chapter 4**

Gojyo and Hakkai had given them glances of undisguised curiosity when they'd come back.

"Felt a little horny, Sanzo-_sama_?" Gojyo taunted, smirking.

Sanzo spat back acidly, "You're the only one here that acts like a hormonal teenager."

Gojyo simply laughed. "I'm not a hormonal teenager. That's Goku you're talking about! I'm a charmer."

Goku rolled his eyes. "Your charm could kill snakes."

"Actually, you're wrong." Gojyo had an amused grin on his face as he glanced at Hakkai. "My charm livens snakes up quite a bit."

Sanzo ignored them and sat down to smoke. Gojyo and Goku had begun arguing _again_. Didn't they ever tire of it?

"By the way, Goku, while you and Sanzo were gone I ate all the food."

"What?" Goku shrieked. "I hate you! I goddamn hate you!"

Gojyo smiled. "Feeling's mutual."

Sanzo stiffened at this.

"Goku, calm down," Hakkai interrupted. "There's still tons of food left. Gojyo was joking."

"You're the best, Hakkai!"

Sanzo glanced over at Gojyo. Was it possible that _he_ had caused Goku's bruises? They were constantly fighting all the time, and Gojyo was pretty strong... Unless....

Sanzo narrowed his eyes. What if Gojyo was secretly beating Goku up?

As strong as Goku was, he relied heavily on his friends for support. That could easily be turned against him. Goku would not put up much of a fight against a friend gone wrong.

Hell, he'd even wanted Sanzo to spare Rikudo! That thought made him wince. Goku felt so strongly about not harming friends that Sanzo wondered if somewhere in Goku's past one of his friends had turned against him.

But there was no use speculating over something that had happened centuries before. Sanzo examined Gojyo out of the corner of his eye, trying to fight the sudden urge to shoot the kappa. If Gojyo was hurting Goku.... His eyes narrowed as he imagined exactly what he'd do to punish the idiot.

But did Gojyo have a motive? When did twisted minds have a logical reason to explain what they did?

For all he knew, Gojyo could view Goku as a younger brother much like he'd been. Perhaps by beating up Goku, he was trying to punish himself for his past. Or maybe he was just trying to make Goku feel the same way he'd felt, so that someone else could suffer with him. So that just maybe he could pass his pain on to someone else.

It wouldn't surprise Sanzo. People did things like that. People were willing to do anything to avoid feeling pain, or even to feel bliss for a few moments. That was why Gojyo went with all those women--to feel wanted, needed, happy.

But if Gojyo was the cause of Goku's suffering, why would Goku even talk to him? Why wouldn't Goku confess or say something--_anything_--to stop what was happening to him?

Then again, Goku wasn't like most people. Goku needed love, needed friends so desperately that he'd do anything to stay with them. Hell, Goku even put up with Sanzo himself, year after year after year.

Sanzo had to admit that either Goku was a complete idiot, or he had a high pain tolerance. Or both.

But how could he discover what was happening? It was too obvious if he followed Gojyo around, especially as it was strange behavior on his part. Gojyo came and went a lot, even more so when they were staying at an inn. So all he could do was keep an eye on Goku.

He grudgingly decided that it would be better if he roomed with Goku. That would keep Goku away from Gojyo, as well as allow him to keep an eye on the monkey's whereabouts.

Sanzo repressed a sigh. It would also be better to keep an eye on Gojyo. Maybe he had to share his suspicions with Hakkai so that Hakkai could keep an eye on his end of the things. But he didn't want to tell anyone. In his eyes, everyone was a suspect. How did he know that Hakkai wasn't in on Gojyo's game, or that.... He stiffened. How did he know Hakkai wasn't the one beating Goku up?

He didn't know why he'd overlooked Hakkai. It was probably Hakkai's eternal smile, and the way he seemed to care about everyone, even his enemies. Sanzo glanced over and examined Hakkai as a stranger would.

Very friendly smile, excessively polite... completely disarming. Even Sanzo himself forgot at times that there was another side to that quiet, calm man.

There had been a side of Hakkai that had killed mercilessly. There was a side still there that anguished over the past. Hakkai was bitter and angry on the inside, though he didn't let that show through.

Hakkai was perfectly capable of hurting Goku.

He was a much more likely candidate than Gojyo, Sanzo concluded. As much as Hakkai tried to keep himself together, he was twisted.

And it would be just like that deceptive man to put his suspicions on someone else. Not openly, of course, as that aroused attention, but by suggesting things.

What had Hakkai said? "Didn't those bruises look... a little suspicious to you?"

Now that he thought about it, that question was suspicious. It was as if Hakkai had been testing him, checking to see whether or not he knew the truth. _Trying_ to make him suspicious so that he'd immediately look for someone else to lay the blame on.

Sanzo scowled.

If he didn't feel that he had to discover what was going on, Sanzo would've shot Goku and ended the problem like that. Actually, maybe he'd shoot Goku as soon as he discovered what was happening. After all, it wasn't right that Goku hid things from him and made him worried--actually no, he wasn't worried, just annoyed.

He'd have to keep an eye on Goku as much as possible. Possibly stay up a few nights as well, because that was probably when he was being hurt.

What a pain in the ass.

To Be Continued...


	5. Fog

**Written:** August 19 2004

** A/N: ** I think this is the longest chapter so far... By the way, extra special thanks to D-chan for the great tips/advice. And of course thank you to all reviewers!

**Chapter 5**

It was hot. So hot and sticky that Sanzo hadn't even bothered to try sleep. Not that he wanted to, anyway. He'd decided to stay up and see if he could discover what was happening to Goku.

He was sitting on a window sill, looking out at the little he could see of the surrounding town. Fog shrouded most of the buildings from sight, and Sanzo cursed the gods that had managed to create a hot and foggy night.

He heard some rustling coming from the room he was sharing with Goku and glanced over sharply. As much as he'd tried to stay in the room, as it was easier to keep an eye on Goku that way, it was impossible for him to relax and have a peaceful smoke while listening to Goku snore.

At least, that's the excuse he was going to use if anyone asked him. In reality, he knew Goku wouldn't do anything if he was awake, and had decided that the only way to find out what was happening was to let it happen once more.

He heard more rustling coming from his room, and leant back slowly to try blend a bit more into the shadows. He extinguished his cigarette and kept his eyes trained on the door, waiting.

It was only pure luck that Sanzo managed to see Goku as the boy left the building. He'd heard a strange noise outside the window, and had looked out just as Goku had landed on his feet.

The stupid twit had jumped out the window. Maybe he'd felt Sanzo's presence outside of the door, or maybe he just didn't want to risk being seen by anyone.

Sanzo watched as Goku headed out of the town, walking swiftly and yet confidently. Where in the world was he going?

He looked down the corridor, but heard nothing from Hakkai and Gojyo's room. His best bet was to slip down the stairs and follow Goku.

He rose to his feet and hurried out, walking in the direction he'd seen Goku go. Sanzo was sure he was headed for the forest, but why?

Sanzo cursed when he got to the edge of the town. He had no clue where Goku was, and heading into the woods blindly was a sure way to get lost. What with the fog and the darkness, he could end up walking circles without knowing any better.

"Looking for something?" someone called out, stumbling out of the shadows.

Sanzo stepped back, prepared for an attack. Great, he thought. Just great.

It was a man. A very drunk man. A very drunk man who was eyeing him up and down and licking his lips in anticipation. "I think I have what you're looking for."

Sanzo barely understood what the man was saying, but his intention was clear. Sanzo cursed; he did not want to deal with any shit, especially as he was already at the point of strangling a certain heretic. He could always strangle this man, he mused.

The man came forward, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Come with me," he slurred, his breath reeking of beer.

Sanzo pulled out his gun and placed it right against the man's temple. "Don't touch me."

The man backed off, raising his hands and mumbling about touchy blonds. Sanzo ignored most of it, but when he heard the comment "he's got a stick right up _his_--" he interrupted the man by shooting in his general vicinity.

That's right, run away, he thought, glaring as he put away his gun.

He turned around to head back to the inn, seething at the whole situation. What a waste of time. He should've just threatened to beat Goku up if he didn't tell him what was going on.

That's when he saw Goku. The boy was coming right towards him, swinging a small shopping bag in his hand.

Sanzo checked to see if Goku had seen him, and tried to melt into the shadows when he realized Goku hadn't. Goku walked past him, whistling softly, completely oblivious to his surroundings.

Sanzo began to trail after the boy, eyeing the shopping bag. What in the world was Goku doing? A nighttime picnic in the woods? No, it didn't seem like food. Clothes? Just a bunch of material? A blanket? Bandages?

He gave up guessing and just concentrated on following Goku through the mist. Tall pine trees surrounded them, but moonlight filtered through, reflecting every now and then off of Goku's diadem and pinpointing his position.

Goku walked around a large bush and moved out of Sanzo's line of sight. He cursed softly, speeding up so as to not loose track of the boy. When he reached the bush, however, Goku was gone.

It was as if the night had swallowed Goku up completely. Or maybe the bush had, Sanzo thought sarcastically. He closed his eyes and listened, trying to catch the snapping of a twig or even just the sensation that someone was nearby. There was nothing.

"Shit," he cursed. Goku couldn't just vanish from sight like that! But where had he gone?

There was no use hunting for Goku, Sanzo decided. It would be better if he waited back at the inn.

With that decision made, Sanzo retraced his steps and returned to the inn. He sat down in his room and stared at Goku's empty bed, wondering where the boy was. Had Goku done this before? Well he couldn't know, could he, as he normally shared a room with Hakkai.

"Just great," Sanzo muttered to himself. He had no clue where Goku was, and he didn't know whether or not Hakkai and Gojyo were both in their room. He had to check.

He got up and padded down the corridor. He paused outside of Hakkai and Gojyo's room, listening for any sounds.

He picked up Gojyo's snoring easily enough, but that same snoring drowned out everything else. For all he knew, Hakkai could have been out as well. He briefly considered waking Gojyo, then decided against it. He had no intention of putting up with another pervert.

The door opened before him and Sanzo blinked in surprise when he found himself staring at Hakkai.

"Couldn't sleep, Sanzo?"

Perhaps his suspicions were wrong. If both Hakkai and Gojyo were in their room, then they could not be the ones hurting Goku. Unless Goku had decided to escape from it all tonight and avoid them. For surely he wouldn't be whistling to himself if he was going to meet up with someone who'd beat him up, right?

"It's too hot," he responded.

"I think so too, but Gojyo appears to be dead to the world."

Hakkai stepped out of the room and closed the door softly behind him. He headed over to the window and Sanzo followed him.

"Goku's not in the room," he said bluntly.

Hakkai glanced over at him in shock. "Where has he gone? Did you see him leave? Is he all right?"

He felt the reaction was a bit too panicked and narrowed his eyes before raising an eyebrow inquiringly. "Do you know where he is?"

Hakkai sighed, understanding what he was implying. "No, I don't."

Perhaps he'd been wrong to concentrate on Hakkai and Gojyo so much. It was obvious that the only person he had to watch was Goku, as the boy had to know who was beating him up. Had he been too quick to accuse his companions?

"I'm worried, Sanzo," Hakkai admitted quietly. "He hasn't been himself for a while now."

"Hn."

"I didn't notice at first because it wasn't a drastic change. It was only in the small things. He complained less to you. He doesn't seem to talk about you as much. And several times I've caught him just thinking and staring out into space. Whenever I've interrupted him, he's turned red. But you've probably noticed that."

The last comment hurt. He always claimed to be the one who knew Goku the best, and yet he hadn't noticed any of the things Hakkai had mentioned. Though maybe that was because he tended to block out most of Goku's babbling.

"Should I wait up?"

"Ch'." It wasn't like he needed company.

Hakkai nodded. "Good night then, Sanzo."

He didn't respond, simply lightened up a cigarette and sat on the window sill, determined to wait.

To Be Continued...


	6. Leaving

**Written:** August 19 2004

** A/N: ** This is my fave chapter!! Well, the confrontation at the end is my fave part. I just love it! XD Okay. I'll calm down now... 39 fans, eat your heart out!  
By the way, quite a few swear words. The wrath of Sanzo is terrible! Terrible!

**Chapter 6**

He hadn't had time to question Goku. He'd woken up when Goku had come in, and realized that he must've dragged himself off to bed. It disgruntled him that he couldn't remember exactly what had happened the night before. He'd stayed up to wait, and then there he was in bed.

He'd tried to question Goku, but the boy had been completely exhausted and had tumbled into his bed immediately. Seconds later he was snoring away like there was no tomorrow.

Sanzo had finally gone back to bed himself, but had slept very little. It was just as well that they were going to be staying in another inn tonight.

"Two nights in a row spent in comfort!" Gojyo crowed. "Someone up there must love me!"

Of course, Sanzo thought, Gojyo never considered thanking _him_ for letting them spend two nights in comfort. It's not like the money came out of thin air!

He'd decided to room again with Goku. This time, however, he was going to stay in the room and make sure Goku didn't move one inch. He was sick of the suspense, that irritating feeling of not knowing but at the same time _needing_ to know. Perhaps he'd beat it out of Goku tonight. Or maybe bribe him with some food.

The later was definitely an option, but Sanzo had the sensation that Goku, for once, wouldn't fall to temptation.

Sanzo still had to determine whether or not Goku had more bruises on him. There was always some just below his ribs, and nowhere else.

Sanzo frowned. He actually didn't know whether Goku had bruises anywhere else. Both times he'd only seen Goku's chest, and that was it. What about the rest of him?

He heard Goku in the shower and thought back to when he'd first found out. It seemed like ages ago, and yet it had only been roughly five days. Less than a week. He wondered why time seemed to drag on when all he wanted to do was speed it up, and along with it his discovery of the source of Goku's bruises.

The door to the bathroom opened and Goku stepped out, fully dressed. He'd begun dressing in the bathroom ever since Sanzo had found out about the bruises, effectively hiding his body from sight.

This had to stop now, Sanzo decided. He had to know what, if anything, Goku was hiding beneath his shirt. Perhaps he'd look at them more closely to determine how Goku had gotten them.

"Strip," he said coldly.

"What?" Goku yelped, turning red.

"To your boxers, idiot. Strip."

"Why--"

"Now."

Goku glared at him sullenly, and reluctantly pulled off his shirt. His muscles rippled with the movement. Sanzo wondered why he'd never noticed it before, then dismissed the thought with irritation.

Next Goku pushed down his pants to the floor before stepping out of them. He stared at Sanzo defiantly.

There were more bruises, but this time they were clearer. Two dark oval ones were above Goku's hips. Sanzo walked around Goku and noticed that there were four on either side of Goku's back. He suddenly felt apprehensive.

Goku turned his head to look at him. "Happy now?"

Sanzo looked up to respond, but the words died in his throat. There was a red mark on the base of Goku's neck. He stepped forward and touched it, hearing Goku gasp softly. Then he pulled his hand away in disgust.

There was no denying what the marks on Goku's body meant. They were not the sign of abuse. They were not self-inflicted.

"A love bite," he growled in Goku's ear, the words sour in his mouth. He walked around the boy so that they stood face to face. Goku avoided his gaze, preferring to stare at the floor on his left.

"Is this what you've been hiding all along?"

Goku didn't respond.

Sanzo knew he should've been relieved that Goku wasn't being hurt or abused in some way, but for some reason he found himself wishing that any of his suspicions had been true. Anything was preferable to this.

"Is it?" he said roughly.

Goku raised his eyes. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't give me that crap," he snapped back. "You've been sleeping with some slut, haven't you?"

Goku narrowed his eyes. "Don't say that word."

"Would you rather I say your conquests? Your lady friends? Has Gojyo been teaching you the rules of the game?"

"I haven't been sleeping with a girl."

"Well," Sanzo shot back acidly, feeling his rage increase. "The marks on your body seem to prove otherwise."

"I said I haven't been sleeping with a girl," Goku repeated.

Sanzo caught his meaning and sneered. He wasn't jealous, he was just furious at having been led around for so long. "So you've just been finding some nice strong guy to give you a good hard fuck." He stepped closer, 'til he was inches from the boy. "Should've told me. I would've enjoyed a wild night or two."

Goku flushed, whether with anger or embarrassment he didn't know. He didn't really care, either.

Sanzo turned away and walked over to his bed, sitting down on it. The thought of Goku and a random guy filled him with disgust, and surprisingly rage. He hated the thought of it.

Goku picked up his clothes and dressed quickly, never meeting his gaze. He walked over to the door as soon as he was done, and when his hand was on the doorknob Sanzo spoke once more.

"So this was your big secret."

Goku paused. "What do you mean?"

"This was what you were hiding all along. You shouldn't have, you know? You had Hakkai worried sick about you."

Goku's shoulders slumped. Sanzo smirked. He knew he'd hit below the belt, but it filled him with satisfaction. Goku would never want to hurt any of his friends, and sometimes the best way to attack him was to attack someone he cared about.

Plus, he wanted Goku to feel guilty. He had this insane need to make Goku regret ever having decided to sleep with someone else.

They both stood in silence for a few moments before Sanzo was overwhelmed by sorrow. "Goku..." he said softly.

Goku's shoulders tightened. "What?" His voice had gotten deeper. He was probably on the verge of slamming the door, or punching something.

"Goku... How could you?"

Goku turned around to face him, a sad smile on his face. "Sanzo... I don't think you'd understand."

Goku's response made his anger resurface once more. "Like hell I'd understand!"

"That's what I mean."

"Well then tell me. Tell me why you tried to hide the result of all your wonderful conquests. Where you ashamed of them?"

Goku's eyes flashed angrily. "If you had made them, I'd have worn them proudly."

Then he stalked out of the room, leaving nothing but stunned silence.

To Be Continued...


	7. Painful

**Written:** August 19 2004

** A/N: ** Hahaha! Surprise! No one is beating Goku up... XD Fooled some of you!  
Mild lime. Sanzo angst! I love the end of this chapter as well... Whenever I reread it, it makes me happy in that sad kind of way. (is weird)

**Chapter 7**

Sanzo was shocked, staring at the closed door with an expression of disbelief etched on his face. What had Goku meant by his last words?

"If I had made them..." he said softly.

Was Goku sleeping with someone else in their group? Sanzo closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. That idea was even worse than that of Goku picking up a random guy.

He had a feeling that Goku was out sulking on the front porch of the inn, and decided to send Hakkai to him. Whoever the cause, Goku sure as hell wasn't going to walk around with someone else's markings on him!

He got up and stomped over to Hakkai's room, slamming the door open. For the second time that day, he was speechless.

They were kissing. Rather avidly. Two bare chests rubbed against each other and someone moaned softly.

He crossed his arms. "Are you going to be done anytime soon?"

Hakkai jumped off of the bed as if he'd been stung. His face was bright red, and he stammered slightly. "So... Sorry Sanzo, I... I didn't hear you."

"That much is obvious."

"Goddamn it!" Gojyo seethed. "Couldn't you knock, for once?"

Sanzo ignored him. So this was why they always wanted to speak in private. He should have guessed.

As annoyed as he was at having seen the two making out, it filled him with relief. At least it hadn't been Goku.

Goku. Right.

He looked at Hakkai. "Goku has marks on him."

"More?" Gojyo interrupted. "What does that kid get up to?"

Again, he ignored Gojyo and spoke to Hakkai. "See to it that they're removed. He's on the front porch."

Hakkai nodded, and Sanzo left the room. He needed a smoke, badly. He returned to his own room and fished out his cigarettes, taking one and lighting it.

He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. He was glad that the mystery was resolved, and that Hakkai and Gojyo were not the culprits. The past few days he'd felt incredibly uncomfortable around them, always wondering whether they were secretly doing something to Goku.

As a result, they had not been working together very well. It was lucky that Kougaiji hadn't sent any of his stronger minions to attack them, and even luckier that Homura hadn't made another appearance. They wouldn't have had the necessary team spirit and cooperation to have fought back successfully.

But his mind was still troubled. What had Goku meant by those words?

Was Goku just mocking him, as if he was the only one worthy enough? Or was he actually inviting him to make those marks himself...?

Sanzo shivered. His mind kept picturing what it would be like taste Goku's skin, to nibble and bite his neck as Goku moaned--

Cut it out, he told his mind firmly. He was probably in such a strange mood because of what he'd just witnessed. That was all. There was no other reason.

I want to be alone, he reminded himself. I don't want to be dragged down by anything.

The other half of his mind sneered back. As if Goku would drag him down. Goku was stronger than him.

That's not what I mean, he argued silently. I don't want to be dragged down emotionally.

And how do you know you won't become stronger as a result? How do you know that a relationship will weaken you?

It will, he scowled. I know that from experience.

So are you never going to take the risk again? You'll risk your life every single day for a cause you hardly believe in, but you won't risk your heart for yourself?

That's right.

Sanzo opened his eyes and stared up at the ceiling. Arguing with himself always brought on massive headaches.

He tried to clear his mind, but one thought still got through.

You'll never even _try_?

His heart wrenched at that. He wanted to be safe, to build a wall around his heart, but he knew that it was nearly impossible. Goku had already wormed in, for one, and he might miss Gojyo and Hakkai a little bit if they left.

Just a little.

But.... Not trying meant not living.

He'd had a similar discussion with Hakkai once. Hakkai's final words had always stayed with him, because they'd burned in the way only truth does.

"You're scared, Sanzo. You're scared of being hurt once more. You're scared of being alone in this world. Just like Goku."

Just like Goku. It had seemed a stupid comparison at the time. Goku was the one who was scared, not him. Goku clung to people, always fearful that one day they'd just... leave.

It was only later that Sanzo realized that was exactly what his master had done. His master had just left one day, and he had been left alone.

He didn't want that to happen again. If anyone had to do the leaving, it was him. He didn't want the burden of another death, of another life thrown at his feet so that he could continue living... alone.

Maybe that was why he'd let Goku into his life. Goku wasn't likely to die anytime soon. Although he always told Goku he wanted to die after him, he knew the opposite would happen. Goku would outlive all of them, perhaps stuck in another cave.

Goku would outlive all of them, and Goku would be the one left alone.

Sanzo closed his eyes and considered for just one moment killing Goku when he was about to die. Killing Goku so they'd die together and neither of them would have to feel the pain.

But he knew he'd never have the strength to do so. Or the courage.

He clenched his fists, forced to face the truth about himself. The truth that burned him every day and made him so bitter, so angry.

"I am weak."

To Be Continued...


	8. Discoveries

**Written:** August 19 2004

** A/N: ** Second to last chapter! **Iapetus**, don't panic, okay?  
A short note to **Silver on the Tree**--I explained where the title "Lividi" comes from at the beginning of the story, but anyway, no it doesn't come from libido (though they do sound similar!). It's the Italian word for bruises.

**Chapter 8**

Sanzo had his eyes closed as he pretended to sleep. The air was still, and he could feel the faint prickle of perspiration rolling down his face.

They had stopped for the night whilst traveling through a forest. Sanzo had wanted to continue, but the others were exhausted, and Hakkai had added that Jeep was tired as well, so they'd been forced to stop.

Goku had ignored him most of the day, though Sanzo had caught him glancing at him a couple times. They seemed to have established an uneasy truce where neither confronted the other.

It unsettled him. He kept thinking back to what Goku had said. He kept wondering if Goku had really meant it. He was unsure as to whether he_wanted_ Goku to mean it.

No, he already knew the answer to the last one already. He wanted Goku.

At least now that the mystery was solved the link between them had cleared slightly, so he could feel Goku's presence in his mind. It comforted him.

Sanzo opened his eyes and examined the forest. For some reason, everything felt too quiet, too still... as if something was missing.

He realized what was missing a second later. Goku wasn't snoring.

"Sanzo?" Goku whispered softly.

He didn't respond.

"Sanzo?" Goku repeated, slightly louder this time.

He smirked inwardly and decided to let Goku say his name twice more, and then answer him. He kept his breathing even, and waited.

His name never came. The next thing Sanzo heard was the soft shuffling of Goku's feet as Goku walked out into the forest.

He sat still, stunned, before a faint tingling of anger swept through him. Sanzo rose the moment Goku disappeared from sight and followed him, determined to discover what the boy was doing. Where was he going? How could he meet anyone in the middle of a forest? They weren't within walking distance of a town.

Had he already arranged this beforehand? Impossible. They never knew which trail they'd take.

Did he... Sanzo hesitated. Did Goku pleasure himself? His mind suddenly conjured up tantalizing images, which he banished with a mixture of embarrassment and irritation.

What a stupid idea. The marks on Goku's body had proved otherwise. Still....

He heard soft voices ahead of him and pricked his ears, easing up to the others as quietly as he could. He heard them before he saw them.

"You should be more gentle," Goku was saying, leaning back against a tree with his arms crossed.

Sanzo inched forward so that he could see what was happening, and froze.

Homura had raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. "You wouldn't like that."

He felt sick. Goku had not been sleeping with some random guy. Out of all the guys in the universe, Goku had to chose their enemy, an all-annoying, arrogant, smug bastard.

It stung. So that's why Goku had said those words. He was ashamed he was sleeping with the enemy, but that didn't really mean he wanted Sanzo.

Sanzo didn't know whether to kill them both or to return to the others and pretend that nothing had happened.

"They're noticing, Homura!"

"Isn't that what you wanted?"

"You know what I want, and if you don't give it to me then I'll--"

"You'll what?" Homura asked, leaning forward and placing his palms on either side of Goku's head. "Will you finally work up the courage to confront Konzen?"

"Sanzo," Goku hissed, but he didn't respond to the question.

Homura nodded as if in agreement. "Konzen."

Goku sighed and looked at his feet. "Stop it."

"Let me be honest, Goku. This is weakening you."

"What?" Goku's head snapped up.

"You need to be strong. And all this is doing is draining away your energy. I can't replace Konzen forever, as much as I'd like to." Homura smiled wistfully, stroking Goku's cheek.

Sanzo didn't know how to feel. Goku wanted him. Goku needed him. Goku was sleeping with Homura instead of him. He felt like beating up that damn monkey, and then kissing him.

"But--" Goku seemed miserable. "I can't."

"Do you think that overthrowing the heavens is an impossible job?"

Goku half-smiled. "It does seem impossible. But somehow, if someone has to do it, I believe that you could."

"That's my exact response when asked whether anyone could melt Konzen's heart. Except that I think you already have."

Sanzo glowered. He hated when gods were right. It made them seem so annoyingly perfect.

Homura suddenly smirked. "As much as I enjoy it, you should let Konzen deal with the _problems_ he causes."

Homura reached down and suddenly Goku moaned, tilting his head back to expose his neck.

Sanzo growled to himself. Homura shouldn't have been touching Goku. But he was, and he had been. All this time it was Homura that had been bruising Goku... and they hadn't been fighting. He couldn't decide who he wanted to kill first.

"You like that, don't you?" Homura whispered. He leaned forward and nibbled on Goku's neck, pressing their bodies together.

Sanzo acted instinctively. He snatched his Smith & Wesson, stepped out from behind the trees, and shot straight at Homura's head.

To Be Continued...


	9. Smiling

**Written:** August 19 2004

** A/N: ** Last chapter! Some lime... Swearing. Not entirely pleased with this chappie. Help, D-chan?  
Don't know if you noticed but the chapter titles make out a sort of sentence which sort of matches the sort of story: _Secrets fade thin, disarming fog leaving painful discoveries smiling_.

Congrats to Iapetus for being the first to guess what would happen (sort of). Sorry to the "schizo Sanzo" theory fans... shrug It was a good idea. The "Goku training to become stronger" was cool too. And as for the "evil raper" fans, Homura and Kou wouldn't do it. pouts Not without good reason.

Thanks so much to everyone who followed along! hugs & hands out chocolate cookies I'd love to thank you all individually, with comments and all, but it'd take up alot of space. And time. If you want to talk, however, feel free to come to the ffnet authors message board: (you can find me if you scroll down). Questions, comments, suggestions, etc... Anything!

**Chapter 9**

Homura turned to look at him, smiling knowingly. "Konzen. At last you step forward. I was wondering how long you would take."

Goku's gaze flickered between Homura and him, as if he didn't know where to go or what to do. "You followed me!" he managed to choke out angrily. Then he looked at Homura. "And you knew!" His face softened. "You explained everything on purpose."

Homura simply nodded, and Sanzo suppressed a growl of frustration. Of course Homura had known! He'd wanted Sanzo to know how things stood and... Sanzo suddenly felt anxious. He wanted Goku to choose.

Sanzo cocked his gun once more, aiming straight at Homura. He knew the weapon was useless against the god, but it at least showed his intention. "Get the fuck away from Goku."

"I don't think Goku wants to go back to his ice cold monk just yet, Konzen." Homura smirked and pressed his body even more against Goku, trapping the boy between the tree and him. Goku whimpered.

Sanzo gritted his teeth, knowing Homura was just trying to provoke him. "Move this instant, or I'll kill you."

"And just how are you planning on doing that? You can shoot all you like."

He narrowed his eyes. "Goku, get away from him. Now."

Goku glanced over at him, then looked at Homura.

"Are you sure you want to do that, Son Goku?" Homura murmured.

"Goku!"

Goku didn't meet his gaze.

Sanzo could understand why. Goku needed someone, and he had never been that type of person. Goku knew he could trust Homura, could depend on that damned god for the attention and care he so craved. Still, Sanzo couldn't bear the sight before him.

He considered stalking off and leaving the two there, but he couldn't. He had to get them apart. He couldn't let Homura touch Goku anymore.

Homura looked over at him and then kissed Goku, taunting him, making him want to strangle that interfering god. Homura moved his lips away from Goku's, across the boy's jawbone 'til he reached his neck.

Goku moaned softly. "Homura..."

That did it. Sanzo stepped forward several paces and snarled, "Get the fuck away from my Goku!"

Homura looked up, amused. "_Your_ Goku? There doesn't seem to be any sign that he belongs to you. Actually, these last few days all he's been covered in are _my_ marks."

Sanzo came closer, his Smith & Wesson inches from Homura's face. "Get back."

Homura took a step back and watched Goku slump forward slightly. "Goku will keep coming to me unless you do something about it, Konzen. If you're going to continue like this, you should take the responsibility of doing it properly." Then Homura looked down at Goku, obviously concerned. "Is this what you want?"

Goku stared down at the ground, avoiding Homura's gaze. He then looked up, but into Sanzo's eyes. Sanzo could feel Goku's will flickering between the two of them, and urged Goku mentally to keep looking at him.

Trust in me, he thought, willing Goku to hear. Don't look away.

But how could Goku trust him, when he'd never given the boy a reason to? How could he explain what he felt when he didn't understand it himself?

Whereas Homura... Goku had turned to Homura for help.

Sanzo felt an incredible urge to strike out at the god beside him, but only clenched his fists. He had to concentrate on Goku. That was all that was important.

"We can't help who we love," Goku finally said softly, looking down. "Just like we can't help what food we like."

Idiotic Goku logic, Sanzo thought, unable to stop the corner of his mouth from twitching upwards.

"I love meat buns, though they're very selfish. They take up all my attention and never get along with anything else. Unlike rice. I like rice. It goes well with everything and it's never selfish... it doesn't mind being second best."

Sanzo wished Goku would stop staring at the ground. What did he mean?

"So though it may not be the best thing for me, I have to choose meat buns."

Homura reached out and touched Goku's face. "If that's what you want. There is no use keeping something when it wants to leave. Perhaps, one day, it will return."

Goku looked straight into Homura's eyes and Sanzo felt something twist inside of him, felt an incredible urge to stand between the two and demand how they could speak without words. What were they saying?

Homura inclined his head at Goku. "You know where to find me."

And Homura was gone.

Sanzo sighed with relief when the god faded from view. He felt a little guilty, though, and mildly irritated. He had been wrong in his opinion of Homura. Homura cared about Goku, so much so that he was willing to give him up. Sanzo knew he'd never be able to do that. He was selfish. He wasn't going to change himself though. He was perfectly happy with himself.

He looked down at Goku and came forward 'til he was standing before him. Goku cowered, trying to inch away.

Sanzo growled with frustration and reached down, brusquely lifting Goku up by his collar. He leaned forward and hissed in Goku's ear, "You stupid, stupid idiot."

Then he pressed his lips against Goku's, roughly, urgently, trying to cram all of his emotions into that one kiss. Goku melted against him, kissing him back, wrapping arms around his waist.

Sanzo broke off the kiss and pushed Goku against the tree, freeing himself. "You idiot," he repeated. Then he turned to leave.

Sanzo cursed as Goku tackled him from behind, making him fall flat on his face. Goku held on to him tightly and leaned slightly to lick his ear.

Sanzo shivered. His body flushed, a surge of heat rushing through him.

"You're the idiot," Goku whispered. "You're not going anywhere 'til you deal with me."

Sanzo twisted his face to look up at Goku. A flash of purple cloth caught his eye and he looked up into the trees above 'til he caught sight of a sad smile.

Thanks, he thought grudgingly, before turning his attention back to the impatient teen on top of him.

He flipped Goku over on to his back, lying on top of him so that they were face to face.

He looked down into Goku's face, so close to his own, and kept his expression neutral as he said, "You dirtied my robes. You're going to pay for that."

Goku smiled.

**The End**


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